Teachers are moulders of character. In many instances, they do their job without adequate remuneration. Ever heard of the saying that teachers’ reward is in heaven? Well, many teachers cannot wait for that. They want their reward here on earth as some said during the celebration of the World Teachers Day (WTD).

Teachers’ reward, according to a saying, is in heaven. Not any more, as many teachers today will prefer to get their reward on earth. Last Friday, during the celebration of World Teachers Day (WTD), many teachers lamented what they see as their neglect. They complained of the poor remuneration and condition of service.

If some had their way, they would take up jobs with the Federal Government, Lagos, Rivers and Imo States, which they say are taking “good care of teachers”. The celebration of WTD by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) provided a platform for teachers to their grievances.

Many were thankful for being alive and belonging to a profession that builds lives. It was also a time for sober reflection, considering the problems of the sector. Many teachers complained of poor pay, lack of motivation, non-implementation of the minimum wage, delayed salaries, career stagnation, and poor teaching facilities.

Salaries and promotion

The difference in salaries is part of reasons some teachers may consider going for greener pastures. From the survey by The Nation, teachers in Lagos, Rivers, Bayelsa and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will not like to teach elsewhere because of the good pay and the seriousness of their governments in addressing the needs of the education sector.

Mr Galadima Usman, a primary school teacher in Minna, Niger State, said governors in Lagos and Rivers are considerate.

“I am a Level 6 teacher in primary school. If I were to teach in another state, I will prefer to teach in Rivers or Lagos because the governors are considerate to the plight of teachers. Here, we are still struggling for the government to fulfil some promises it made to us. But I heard in those states, the government always fulfils its promises to teachers.”

Lagos

Chairman, NUT Apapa branch, Comrade Olayinka Emmanuel, who earns about N120,000 as a Level 14 officer, said though welfare could be better, the state has done well, investing in education.

“The state government is not treating teachers as expected though there has been an improvement in the past two years. What we earn at this level is not the best but the government has really invested well in education and we can see that public schools now look like private schools because they are being renovated and beautified. I cannot afford to work in another state aside Lagos State,” he said.

“I will still choose to work in Lagos. The state government is trying in terms of provision of facilities, infrastructure and welfare of the children, even in terms of prompt promotion. As of today, there is no teacher that has not been promoted for the 2010/2011 period,” he said.

In Lagos, a Level 13 officer earns N90,000; Level 16 earns N152,000.

However, not all teachers are satisfied. A Level 16 teacher in Ojo said the ‘Lagos factor’ could have been considered in setting the wages higher.

“Let me say the state is trying in the area of prompt payment of salaries. But Lagos being a cosmopolitan state has created many social challenges – traffic, insecurity, high cost of accommodation and all that. These are some of the things government can pay more attention to, to ameliorate our plight. The cost of living in Lagos is high and, sometimes, too high for teachers.”

Delta

In Delta State, some teachers would sooner relocate to Lagos if given the opportunity, despite earning slightly higher salaries.

A teacher, simply known as Miss Odhomo, said she earns N96,000 as a Level 12 officer – N6,000 more than a Level 13 teacher in Lagos. However, for her, the sea weed is greener in Lagos.

“If I have an opportunity to transfer my service, my favourite destination will be Rivers or Lagos States, ” she said.

Another teacher, Mr Ogboko Isaac, likes Lagos for a different reason. The primary school teacher accused the Delta State government of discrimination between primary and Secondary school teachers, something he says does not happen in Lagos.

His words: “Teachers in primary schools in Delta State cannot be promoted beyond Grade Level 14 while secondary school teachers cannot exceed Level 16. But in Lagos State such discrimination does not exist. While secondary school teachers in Lagos can attain Level 17, primary school teachers can exceed Grade Level 16.”

However, Ogboko, who has 31 years teaching experience and earns N120, 000 as a Level 14 officer, said, despite his unhappiness with the state of welfare of teachers, he will remain in Delta State.

Defending the government, the NUT Chairman, Delta State Wing, Comrade Emmanuel Adhe, said the large workforce may be responsible for poor funding of the education sector.

“Delta State has many teachers and that is what is affecting funds meant to be invested in education. Delta State has about 35,000 teachers in its employment. The state government has been doing a lot for teachers and other civil servants,” he said.

Anambra

In Anambra, teachers are eyeing their counterparts in Imo State, who they said Governor Rochas Okorocha is taking good care of.

Mr Umetiti James of Community Secondary School, Isuofia in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, said the salary of teachers are poor in the state compared to what others earn in other states. Though he praised Governor Peter Obi for doing well, nevertheless, he said the issue of salaries should be looked into.

While a Level 10 teacher takes home a little above N40,000 per month, in Imo, he would earn close to N60,000. Also, he said a Level 14 teacher in Anambra earns about N50,000 while his counterpart in Imo take shome N70,000.

Zonal Head Teacher, Central School, Umuchu, Anambra, Mr Eusebius Umeh Agudosi, also said Okorocha has liberated Imo teachers from the bondage of those he referred to as “money bags” by paying gratuities, pensions and enhanced salaries. He admitted that Obi had equally shown teachers they belong to the society.

He praised Obi for rehabilitating schools and providing computers.

For teachers in some states, if their poor salaries were to be regular, they would be grateful. Many also complained about the delay in effecting their promotion.

Cross River

In Cross River, where many teachers are unhappy with the pay, teachers on Salary Grade Level 8, which is the entry point, earn about N46,000. Level Nine earns N49, 000; Level 10, about N53, 000 and Level 12, about N62, 000. However deductions of about N5,000 are made on these figures for various payments and levies.

Mr Pius Ashaka, chairman of the Association of Primary School Head teachers and the Head Teacher, Government Primary School, Obanliku Local Government of Cross River State, said primary school teachers suffer, waiting for their salaries to come.

He said: “A lot is still required of government. I am talking of primary schools. For secondary school, there is improvement because they collect salaries much earlier than us. In our case, we do not know what happened. Council chairmen who are supposed to pay us salaries delay, sometimes, we get salaries on the 20th of the following month and we have children to take care of. We have families. How do we fare?”

Ashaka also complained about unfair promotion of teachers based on connections.

“Recently, promotion interviews were conducted across the local governments. The earlier they release the promotion letters and implement them, the better. Implementation should be uniform. The last time, about seven years ago, implementation kept going on among selected persons. It became a survival of the fittest. Those who were fast enough got their own implemented earlier. Some till today have nothing. For so many teachers promoted since 2005, their promotion has not been implemented,” he said.

Another teacher, Mr Ignatius Ekpe, lamented the stoppage of the rural allowance in favour of the minimum wage.

Ekpe, who teaches in Government Secondary School in Akamkpa Local Government, is seeking its restoration as well as the implementation of the 27.5 per cent Teachers Special Allowance (TSA).

“The restoration of rural allowance for teachers who are serving in rural areas should be done so that it would motivate them to teach well. They were paying this rural allowance but they stopped, when they started paying the minimum wage.

“The government should also do something about our salaries because of the economy today. But now even the 27.5 is not being paid, we expect that more should be paid to us. I remember that our salaries were tax free during the previous administration, but now, it is not so. We pay heavy tax now. It should be removed,” he said.

Kwara

Teachers in Kwara are also lamenting. A Fine Arts teacher on Level 14, who claimed anonymity, said he earns less than N60,000.

“I know in Kogi, Osun and Ogun states their salary structures for teachers are far better than Kwara State’s. I have a friend whose wife works in Ogun State and she is on Level 8. What she earns is the equivalent of Level 10 in Kwara. If I am to remain a teacher and I get a better offer in a neighbouring state, I will gladly jump at it.

“What I have realised, teaching in Kwara, is the significant difference in remuneration compared to some other neighbouring states. A Level 10 teacher’s take pay per month in Kwara is between N30,000 and N35,000. I am a Level 14 officer and my pay is below N60,000.”

Benue

In Benue State, teachers did not celebrate their day as always. Rather, they opted for a sober reflection. They retreated to the NUT House on old Otukpo Road, Makurdi, to deliberate their bleak future under the present administration.

They said there was noting worth celebrating because of non-payment of salaries for more than two months.

The Chairman, NUT, Benue State, Wing Comrade Godwin Anya painted the deplorable condition of teachers in the state: “Teachers in Benue are dying. The last salaries they received were in July. August, September have ended, very soon October will end. Aside the issue of minimum wage on which the government has been foot-dragging for so long, there was nothing to celebrate.”

He added: “Benue State government said before they pay us the minimum wage they would do table payment to determine the number of teachers, we agreed. But, instead of doing so, they set up a committee which carried out a verification exercise to determine the exact staff strength of Benue teachers. Up till now, as I am talking to you, the report of the verification is yet to be made public while teachers in other states, especially in neighbouring North Central have since implemented the minimum wage.

A female teacher with L.G.EA Primary School, Wurukum, Makurdi, Miss Dooshima Ulam,said she is on Level 7, and her take home pay is N20,000. She said sometimes, she is paid less than that because of tax.

Miss Ulam said she would love to teach in Lagos because teachers are well paid. She also described the working environment as poor and called on the government to renovate primary schools to make learning and teaching conducive for teachers and pupils.

MrTerlumun Uwua, who teaches at St. Theresa’s Primary School, Naka, said as a Level 10 officer he earns between N33,000 and N40,000.

“Benue has not done enough for teachers and the welfare is nothing to write home about compared to what obtains in other states like Kogi, Nassarawa and Lagos,” he said.

In the Federal Capital Territory, teachers in the public sector earn salaries commensurate with some comfortable private sector non-teaching jobs.

FCT, Abuja

Comrade Mangtu Bala said he earns almost N200,000 on Level 14. He knows he is fortunate.

“I am on Grade Level 14 and my salary is close to N200,000. This is not commensurable with other profession but our union has been trying to see that we are remunerated reasonably compared to other professions to cope with the standard of living in Abuja. I will not want to go to any state to teach because the state governments are not paying up to half of what we are collecting here,” he said.

Adamu Sehidu who earns N97,000 is seeking better allowances.

He said: “The celebration is a thing of joy, but the painful aspect is that teachers are not appreciated the way they should. But, we thank God things are improving gradually. I pray we get there. I am on Level 13 earning N97,000. The most painful thing in FCT is that teachers who go on transfer do not enjoy transfer allowance. No study leave to upgrade knowledge in FCT. I cannot go out of FCT.”

He said: “I am on Level 12 and the salary is encouraging. With the present reform of President Goodluck Jonathan, workers nationwide are supposed to earn the same salary and if that is in place it will further encourage any teacher to work anywhere.”

Rivers

Teachers in Rivers State are happy with Governor Chibuike Amaechi. On coming into office in 2007, he declared a state of emergency in education. On the advice of stakeholders, the state government took over the payment of teacher’s salaries from councils and set about re-building primary and secondary schools.

Before teachers’ salaries were paid irregularly, since Amaechi took over, the teachers are no longer told to expect their rewards in heaven. They are always smiling home with regular salaries.

Teachers were reluctant to comment on their salaries for fear of sack. However, it was gathered that those on Level 8 earn about N61,525; Level 9, N80,000, Level 10, between N89,000 and N96,000, and Level 12, between N98,000 and N138,000.

With the amounts they receive, teachers in Rivers State said they would not trade places with those in other states.

“The reason is, despite whatever we are paid, it is very regular. The government is urging all of us to professionalise by obtaining qualifications like NCE or post graduate diploma in education”, said a teacher.

Bayelsa

On the average, many Bayelsa teachers will remain where they are. They commended the government for implementing the 27.5 per cent Teachers Special Allowances in full.

The NUT Chairman, Brandla Ogola, said Governor Seriake Dickson-led administration is trying its best, noting that no state pays better than the Bayelsa.

“You cannot leave Bayelsa and go and teach in Kwara or Ebonyi where they are paying lesser salaries, “said Brandla, who said only Rivers State pays a little above Bayelsa.

Another teacher, Mrs Pamela Deinbiri, who spoke on teachers remuneration, it is okay. In every sector, you have the salary structure approved by the Federal Government. The state works in accordance with the salaries approved by the Federal Governemnt. So, we are using the federal consolidated salary structure.

“I don’t think I will chose another place to Bayelsa to teach because there are so many factors. It is not all about salary. I have a family here. I am from this place. So, whatever happens you need to adjust. I wouldn’t want to leave my family because of a difference of maybe N5,000, N10,000 to N20,000.

From my observations, States like Abuja,Lagos, Rivers who are paying good salaries to their teachers need to be commended for not ‘killing education “grádualy in their states.They should continúe.The law of Camar is coming to those Governors & their families for failing to pay good salaries to their teachers because they rẹ by-products of teachers.NO TÈACHERS NO GOVERNORS,NO TEACHERS NO NATION